PLANNING BOARD MEETING

TOWN OF SYLVA PLANNING BOARD MEETING Thursday, May 15, 2025 at 5:00 PM Board Room, 83 Allen Street Sylva, North Carolina MINUTES PRESENT: Taylor Armstrong Paige Dowling, Town Manager Russ Harris Amanda Murajda, Town Clerk Geoffrey Hirsch Kendall Waldrop ABSENT: Rose Bauguess Melissa Madron Larry Tyson CALL TO ORDER The Planning Board meeting was called to order at 5:00 p.m. STAFF PRESENT: None. VISITORS: John Jeleniewski (Senior County Planner). APPROVAL OF MINUTES Kendall Waldrop made a motion to approve the September 25, 2025, minutes. Geoffrey Hirsch seconded the motion, and the motion carried with a unanimous vote. NEW BUSINESS ZONING MAP AMENDMENT REQUEST—OPM HOLDINGS, LLC: John Jeleniewski, Senior County Planner, presented the staff report as follows: Applicant: OMP Holdings, LLC (Kole and Kim Clapsaddle) – Property Owners Property Location: 89 Apollo Drive, Sylva NC 28779; PIN 7641-48-6031 Current Property Zoning: High Density Residential - HDR Ordinance Section for which the Text Amendment is requested: Article 3 - Procedures - Section 3.9.B – Zoning and Map Amendments Description of Request: The applicant is requesting a map amendment that would designate the subject property as General Business (GB) District. Background: The General Business District (GB) is the largest district within Sylva’s commercially zoned jurisdiction. The GB District offers a broad range of permitted (use-by-right) and special uses (SUP) such as lodging, retail/commercial, restaurants, public/civil and recreational uses. Property improvements in this district are subject to development standards as set forth in the zoning ordinance including building setbacks, landscaping, architectural standards, sidewalk construction, parking, storm water treatment, etc. The subject property is located on the northeast side of the Highway 107/Asheville Highway (Business 23) intersection just behind vacant property that is currently zoned as General Business (GB) and in the Hall Heights neighborhood. This property is a total of 0.48 acres in land area with one existing residential dwelling. Access to this property is from the public right-of- way of Apollo Drive (Town road). This property is adjacent to properties to the west and south that are in the GB District and are not located within the 100-year flood plain. This property is served by Tuckaseigee Water & Sewer Authority for public utilities. Planning Board Meeting October 23, 2025 Application Response: The applicant is requesting that the existing Town of Sylva Zoning Map be amended to designate this property (0.48 acres total) to the General Business District. Staff Findings: The requested map amendment would not constitute “spot zoning” as the properties to the west and south are zoned GB District. The Town’s adopted Land Use Plan for 2040 establishes that this property will be in the future Urban Neighborhood District. The encouraged land uses for this future district include primarily residential: small lot single family, townhome residential, two-, three- or four-family units, and multifamily; civic and educational uses that support community residents, live-work units, small scale in-home businesses and small scale public open space (e.g. active pocket parks, passive open space, greenways). However, if the map amendment request is approved, this property will be in the future Community Corridors District with encouraged land uses for this district being mixed-use buildings, institutional uses, walkable neighborhood commercial (retail, office, personal services), large scale commercial, business centers, community services and civic/educational services. In addition, this requested map amendment will create available property and opportunity in the GB District that may be needed to serve the community during/after the proposed Highway 107 improvement project. The board discussed the prior uses of the location and what the intentions were of the property owner. The home is currently vacant. The property owner would like to convert it to a commercial property. Being no further discussion, Kendall Waldrop made a motion to approve the map amendment request and the statement of consistency. Geoffrey Hirsch seconded the motion, and the motion carried with a unanimous vote. ADJOURNMENT: Geoffrey Hirsch made a motion to adjourn the meeting at 5:23 p.m., Taylor Armstrong seconded the motion and the motion carried with a unanimous vote. _____________________________________ _________________________________________ Russ Harris Amanda W. Murajda Vice-Chairman Town Clerk